Sweet Liberty

Infobox Film
name = Sweet Liberty


image_size =
caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Alan Alda
producer = Martin Bregman
writer = Alan Alda
narrator =
starring = Alan Alda
Michael Caine
Michelle Pfeiffer
Bob Hoskins
Lillian Gish
music = Bruce Broughton
cinematography = Frank Tidy
editing = Michael Economou
distributor = De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)
released = May 14, 1986
runtime = 106 min
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0092035

"Sweet Liberty" is a 1986 comedy film about an author forced to deal with a film crew who comes to town to shoot a film adaption of his book on the Battle of Cowpens during the American Revolutionary War. The film was directed and written by Alan Alda, and stars Alda, Michael Caine, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Plot summary

College history professor Michael Burgess (Alda) whose factually-based historical novel has been bought by Hollywood and is being turned into a bodice-ripper starring two huge stars: the egotistical lothario Elliot James (Caine) and the seemingly sweet Method actress, Faith Healy (Pfeiffer). Satirizing Hollywood excesses, Burgess becomes increasingly exasperated as his source novel gets mauled beyond all recognition by the scriptwriter (Hoskins) and the director (Rubineck). While both stars are still whining for more screen time for their own characters, Michael must also deal with his dottie mother (Gish) and jealous girlfriend Gretchen (Hilboldt). She has an affair with actor Elliott, just as Michael has an affair with Faith, who is not what she seems to be. Finally, Michael sabotages his own film to try to regain some truth in his life. [ [http://www.citizencaine.org/films/sweet-liberty.shtml Citizen Cane capsule] ]

Cast

*Alan Alda as "Michael Burgess"
*Michael Caine as "Elliott James"
*Michelle Pfeiffer as "Faith Healy"
*Bob Hoskins as "Stanley Gould"
*Lise Hilboldt as "Gretchen Carlsen"
*Lillian Gish as "Cecelia Burgess"
*Saul Rubinek as "Bo Hodges"
*Lois Chiles as "Leslie"
*Linda Thorson as "Grace James"

Reception

The filmed received an aggregate score of 75% on RottenTomatoes.com, certified fresh on a basis of 12 reviews. Typical comments call it an "ok light comedy" " sweet and funny", but several reviews mention the multiple sub plots which can be distracting. Roger Ebert notes "Alda's best-written character in the movie probably is Faith Healy, the sexy actress played by Pfeiffer. Her performance uses some wonderfully subtle touches, as she moves back and forth between her historical character and her distinctly more cynical modern one. It's here that the movie comes closest to its theme, which is (I think) the ways that adults can deceive themselves even while thinking they are perfectly aware of all their motives." [ [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19860516/REVIEWS/605160301/1023 Sweet Liberty/May 16, 1986] ]

ee also

* Lillian Gish filmography

References

External links

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